Welcome to the ClearanceJobs Game Show extravaganza, where today, we’re going to test our PR and Partnerships Manager’s knowledge on weird government acronyms and how to pronounce them.
Is it C.U.I.? Or coo-eee?
Phoebe, are you ready to put your government acronym knowledge to the test?
See how she did 👇
1. NGIC
The National Ground Intelligence Center (pronounced en-jic), a part of the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, is responsible for producing scientific and technical intelligence while also performing military capability analysis on foreign ground forces and systems. This information is crucial for warfighting commanders, force modernization and research and development communities, the Defense Department, and national policymakers. The NGIC serves as an authoritative source for the Army and other services, providing comprehensive data on ground forces threats. It manages the Army’s Foreign Materiel Exploitation Program and foreign material acquisition requirements, making it an essential component of national defense.
2. eQIP
eQIP (pronounced ee-kwip) is a secure website that automates the processing of federal background investigations using common security questionnaires. It is managed by OPM but will be replaced by eAPP.
3. NBIS
The National Background Investigation Services (pronounced en-bis) is the federal government’s one-stop-shop IT system for end-to-end personnel vetting — from initiation and application to background investigation, adjudication, and continuous vetting. NBIS will be one consolidated system designed to deliver robust data protection, enhance customer experience, and better integrate data across the enterprise.
4. CONOPS
The aim of a Concept of Operations (pronounced conn-opps) is to summarize the findings of the conceptual analysis process. This procedure helps to identify the attributes of the proposed system (as viewed by the user) and the operational context in which it must operate.
Defense acquisition university describes it as “a verbal or graphic statement that clearly and concisely expresses what the commander intends to accomplish and how it will be done using available resources. The concept is designed to give an overall picture of the operation.”
5. SOW
A Statement of Work (pronounced SOW) is like a secret treasure map that leads to a project’s success. It’s a spellbinding document that contains all the project’s juicy details: what’s in the works, when it’s due, where it’s happening, and how the coins will be counted. The government holds any contractors supporting them accountable to this document.
6. CUI
Don’t say coo-ee people.
Controlled Unclassified Information (or CUI) refers to sensitive information that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls according to applicable law, regulations, and government-wide policies. However, it is not classified.
7. FAR
The FAR (said phonetically like far out, dude) – something I definitely don’t want to read. The Federal Acquisition Regulation is the principal set of rules regarding Government procurement in the U.S. and is codified at Chapter 1 of Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations. It covers many of the contracts issued by the U.S. military and other US civilian federal agencies.
8. TRADOC
The United States Army Training and Doctrine Command (pronounced tray-dock) is a major command of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Eustis, VA.
9. DISS
The Defense Information System for Security (or DISS, like that was a huge diss on JPAS) serves as the enterprise-wide solution for personnel security, suitability, and credentialing management for DoD military, civilian, and contractors. For the intlellignece community, it’s scattered castle.
10. JPAS
This is what DISS used to be. The Joint Personnel Adjudication System (pronounced jay-pass) used to be the security clearance System of Record but was finally shut down on March 31, 2021.
11. SAP
Picture a secret club with its own secret language, secret codes, and special ways to keep everything extra extra safe. That’s what Special Access Programs (pronounced saps) are all about! They use the usual levels of classified info like Top Secret, Secret, and Confidential, but with added nicknames, codewords, and super-secret handling rules. Bottom line? SAPs are like the VIPs of classified programs, with next-level security and access requirements.
